William Northey (died 1770) facts for kids
William Northey (born around 1722, died 24 December 1770) was an English politician. He served in the House of Commons, which is like the main part of the UK's parliament, from 1747 until he passed away in 1770.
William Northey was the son of another William Northey, who was also a Member of Parliament (MP). His mother was Abigail Webster. His family came from Compton Basset in Wiltshire.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
William Northey started his political career in 1747. He bought a special property called Ivy House in Wiltshire. This property came with one of the two parliamentary seats for the area of Calne.
He was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Calne on June 27, 1747. He held this position for many years, until 1761.
After that, he became the MP for Maidstone in Kent. He was elected on March 28, 1761, and served there until March 18, 1768.
His final role as an MP was for Great Bedwyn. He was elected on November 13, 1768, and remained MP until his death in 1770. People said he was a strong and good speaker in parliament, often leading the opposition.
Other Important Roles
Besides being an MP, William Northey had other important jobs. He was a lieutenant-colonel in the Wiltshire county militia, which was a local army group.
He also worked as one of the commissioners for trade. This meant he helped manage trade rules and agreements for the country.
In 1753, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group for scientists and important thinkers.
He also served King George III as a Groom of the Chamber. This was a special role helping the King directly. In 1770, he became a Lord of Trade, continuing his work with trade policies, until he died later that year at Ivy House.
Family Life
William Northey was married twice. His first wife was Harriet Vyner, who passed away in 1750. In 1751, he married Anne Hopkins. Anne's father, Edward Hopkins, was also an MP.
William Northey had seven children in total: three sons and four daughters. His oldest son, also named William, followed in his father's footsteps and became an MP too. One of his younger sons, Richard, later changed his last name to Northey Hopkins. Sadly, all four of his daughters never married.
